Lincoln, NE -- Concerns regarding proposed changes to the federal reformulated gasoline program have prompted the 22-member Governors' Ethanol Coalition to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to maintain a role for ethanol in the clean fuels program.

"The Governors' Ethanol Coalition, representing 22 states, many of which are affected by Phase II [reformulated gasoline] requirements, is very concerned that ethanol may be effectively excluded from reformulated gasoline in the summer months," wrote Kansas Governor Bill Graves and Iowa Governor Thomas Vilsack, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Coalition, respectively, to EPA Administrator Carol Browner. "It would be a serious step backward in achieving the overall goals of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 if no accommodations are made to preserve the viability of ethanol in the [reformulated gasoline] program."

"More than 20 percent of the gasoline sold in the Chicago/Milwaukee/Indiana [reformulated gasoline] markets is blended with ethanol. We are very proud of this accomplishment and the resulting benefits to air quality," said the governors. "In a single day in the greater Chicago area, ethanol-blended gasoline reduces carbon monoxide emissions by 780 tons and ozone-causing emissions by 24 tons. We do not want to see ethanol effectively excluded by regulation next year in the Phase II [reformulated gasoline] program in the Midwest."

EPA's Phase 2 reformulated gasoline program, which will begin January 1, 2000, imposes more stringent emissions requirements than the current program. While studies show that ethanol reduces exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, both of which contribute to urban ozone formation, the model used by EPA fails to credit these benefits, while exaggerates ethanol's impact on evaporative emissions. As a result, ethanol's substantial air quality benefits stand to be forfeited in the new gasoline.

"EPA's Phase II [reformulated gasoline] rules should be modified to provide refiners and marketers greater flexibility for using ethanol-year round," wrote the governors. "We firmly believe that there are benefits to the use of ethanol, such as lower reactivity, which are not being credited in the existing regulatory framework and that would make ethanol a more viable component of Phase II [reformulated gasoline]. Provisions need to be established allowing ethanol-blended fuels to compete with other oxygenates."